1. The Impact of Madonna’s
Career on Pop Music Genre
and Other Artists
SAE Institute Ljubljana
Hrvoje Hrsto
Student number: 10280
Date of submission: 24 November 2013
BAP 1113
Word count: 1129

2. Abstract
In this practical research essay, I will chronologically analyze what influences in pop music
Madonna produced and emulated throughout her solo career. With over 80 internationally
released singles, 70 music videos, 24 albums and 9 world tours she is in a unique position
for evaluation, being an artist that is still active and popular.
II

3. Table of contents
Abstract! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I
Table of Contents!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! II
1. Introduction! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1
2. Chronological Development of Studio Albums, Their Reception and Media
Coverage! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2
! 2.1. 1980’s! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2
! 2.2. 1990’s! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 3
! 2.3. 2000’s! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 3
! 2.4. 2010’s! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 4
3. Influencing the Popularity of Music Genres! ! ! ! ! ! 4
4. Influences on Other Artists! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 4
5. Conclusion! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 6
References!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 7
Bibliography ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 9
III

4. 1. Introduction
Being called the Queen of Pop by the media, Madonna is one of the biggest influences in
Pop music for over 30 years. Here I will provide the information about her career and the
impact she made on the Pop music genre and her contemporaries.
1

5. 2. Chronological Development of Studio Albums, Their Reception and
Media Coverage
! 2.1. 1980’s
After briefly being in bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, Madonna’s solo career started in
1982 with the single ”Everybody” and self-titled debut album she released the following
year. Album utilized new technology that was emerging at that time, like synthesizers and
drum machines. Its characteristic upbeat pop-disco-dance was welcomed at many
different interest groups, ”because everyone in the rock clubs played her – the black clubs,
the gays, the straight – and very few records have that appeal.” (Rooksby, 2004, p.14)1.
That statement can be applied throughout her entire career.
Second album ”Like a Virgin” didn’t stride too much from the sound of the first album,
however, Madonna had a bigger production influence and stronger lyric themes. Both
albums were commercial and critical success. Her third album ”True Blue”, was more
mature and changed her music expression in that ways that it included more classical
instruments, and her voice utilized her lower register. It was her most successful album
thus far, and many critics ranked her equal to Michael Jackson or Prince.
Her next album ”Like a Prayer”, an even bigger hit, that had more soul, funk and gospel
influences. She propelled her controversial image further with the music video for the
headline album song, earning her condemnation from the Vatican and a cancelled
sponsorship from Pepsi. However, she was named artist of the decade by Billboard and
MTV.
2
1 Rooksby quoted John ”Jellybean” Benitez, Madonna’s boyfriend and producer at the time

6. ! 2.2. 1990’s
Her subsequent albums, ”Erotica”, that continued in an electronic-dance direction with
several experiments with jazz and hip-hop, and ”Bedtime Stories”, that was influenced by
R&B, were less successful, due to her controversial public behavior. Her music expression
and public image changed direction with ”Ray of Light”. After giving birth to her first
daughter, studying Kabbalah and Hinduism, and taking vocal lessons for the movie Evita,
her vocals and lyrics became more mature and spiritual. Returning to pop-dance style with
more influence of electronica, the album got great critical acclaim and is often included in
many ”Best albums” lists.
! 2.3. 2000’s
”Music”, continued to build up on previous, more mature success, with electronic sound,
while adding more rock and country to the mix. Her next album ”American Life” was a mix
of pop, rock, acoustic music, somewhat less electronica and a bit of rap. It got more
politically engaged lyrically, to reflect the post 9/11 USA that was in war with Iraq at the
time. It became her lowest selling album at the time.
Changing her sound and image, ”Confessions on a Dance Floor” got back to disco,
blended with modern day club music. It featured a lot of samples from other artists, most
prominently ABBA’s ” Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” in single ”Hung
Up”. Album ”Hard Candy” was still dance-pop, but mixed with contemporary R&B. The
accompanying ”Sticky&Sweet Tour” is her most successful tour, and third highest grossing
tour ever, behind Rolling Stones’s ”A Bigger Bang Tour” and U2’S ”360 Tour”. Success
continued in 2008 when she was inaugurated to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
3

7. ! 2.4. 2010’s
”MDNA” album went to the tested formula of dance, pop and electronica. Although being
an album with the smallest number of sold copies, her performance during Super Bowl
XLVI halftime show was the most watched show ever in USA, even more than the sport
event itself. The accompanying MDNA Tour was such a success that Madonna now holds
the first two places for the most successful solo female artist tours.
3. Influencing the Popularity of Music Genres
Madonna molded and shaped the Pop music and is often called in the media by the
honorific nickname The Queen of Pop. Pop music genera is borrowing from many other
genres, so it is a perfect for her expression and manipulation of it. Contrary to the popular
saying to find formula that works and stick with it, Madonna periodically reinvents herself,
from sound to image. Level of success varies, but all of her albums ranked in top 10 on
Billboard 200, and were certified from Gold to Diamond by RIAA.
Her 80’s era paved the way for many dance-pop female performers in many years to
come, and her controversial image pushed many boundaries for female performers. No
matter if she was joining the popularity of R&B in the mid 90’s, or bringing electronica to
mainstream at the end of 90’s, she was either the first one to experiment with certain
sound, or being an example headliner of the current trends in music and music videos.
4. Influences on Other Artists
”Madonna pretty much invented contemporary pop fame so there is a little bit of her in the
DNA of every modern pop thing.” (Peter Robertson, The Guardian, 2011 [online])
Many of the current and past music acts said that Madonna influenced their careers. From
male (e.g. Adam Lambert), boy and girl bands (e.g. New Kids on the Block) to groups (e.g.
Ace of Base), but the biggest list is among female solo artists. Every now and then in the
media appears a title of Latin Madonna (e.g. Shakira), or Black Madonna (e.g. Beyonce),
or Next Madonna (e.g. Lady Gaga), which indicates high influence and popularity if her
name is used as a honorific title.
4

8. Madonna herself promoted some artists. For example, Britney Spears or Kylie Minogue
had solid careers, but they both got boost after she whore shirts with each of their names
in 2000 and Katy Perry was brought to mainstream media after Madonna mentioned that
she listened to her music in two interviews. Many artists covered her songs and published
tribute albums. Most prominent in recent years is ”Glee: The Music, The Power of
Madonna”, from the musical television series Glee that dedicated an episode to her.
5

9. 5. Conclusion
Madonna as an music artist had and still has a tremendous influence on Pop as a music
genre and even bigger influence on her contemporaries. Constantly being in the top of the
charts with each album, she is not showing signs of stopping her career. We can expect
more music and influence on next generation of artists that will cite her as an inspiration.
She isn’t called The Queen of Pop for nothing.
6

10. References
Azerrad, M., DeCurtis, A. (2011) ”100 Best Albums of the Eighties”, Rolling Stone 16
November 1989 [online], available at: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-
albums-of-the-eighties-20110418/madonna-madonna-20110324 (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Benson, C., Metz, A. (1999) The Madonna Companion: Two Decades of Commentary,
London, Music Sales Group
Cinquemani, S. (2003) “Madonna: True Blue”, Slant Magazine, 9 March [online], available
from: http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/madonna-true-blue (Accessed:
23.11.2013)
Dillon Summers, K. (2012) Katy Perry a Biography, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO
Erlewine, S.T. (2013) “Madonna - Similar Artists, Influenced By, Followers”, AllMusic
[online], available at: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/madonna-mn0000237205/related
(Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Garfield, S. (2005) “Looks good on the dancefloor”, The Guardian, 20 November [online],
available at: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/nov/20/popandrock.madonna1
(Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Harmanici, R. (2009) “Lady Gaga in the running to be the next Madonna”, San Francisco
Chronicle, 8 November [online], available at: http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Lady-
Gaga-in-the-running-to-be-the-next-Madonna-3211672.php (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Kaufman, G. (2009) “Madonna Breaks Her Own Solo-Tour Record With Sticky & Sweet”,
MTV.com, 3 Spetember [online], available from http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1620700/
madonna-breaks-her-own-solo-tour-record.jhtml (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
NY Times (1989) “Pepsi Cancels Madonna Ad” 5 April [online], available at: http://
www.nytimes.com/1989/04/05/business/pepsi-cancels-madonna-ad.html (Accessed:
23.11.2013)
7

11. O’Brien, L. (2007) Madonna: Like an Icon, New York, HarperCollins
Reuters (2012) “Madonna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Edges Out the Game”, 6 February
[online], available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/06/
idUS121991955020120206 (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Rooksby, R. (2004) Madonna: The Complete Guide to Her Music (The Complete Guide to
the Music of Madonna), 2nd edition, London, Omnibus Press
Tadeusiak, A. (2000) ”MTV Europe Music Awards 2000”, UKMIX, (no date) [online],
available at: http://www.ukmix.org/articles/2000/ema.html (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Taraborrelli, J.R. (2002) Madonna: An Intimate Biography, New York, Simon & Schuster
USA Today (2007) “Madonna, others named to Rock Hall of Fame”, 13 December [online],
available at: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/awards/2007-12-13-
rockfame_N.htm (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
8

12. Bibliography
Azerrad, M., DeCurtis, A. (2011) ”100 Best Albums of the Eighties”, Rolling Stone, 16
November 1989 [online], available at: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-
albums-of-the-eighties-20110418/madonna-madonna-20110324 (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Benson, C., Metz, A. (1999) The Madonna Companion: Two Decades of Commentary,
London, Music Sales Group
Cinquemani, S. (2003) “Madonna: True Blue”, Slant Magazine, 9 March [online], available
from: http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/madonna-true-blue (Accessed:
23.11.2013)
Davies, P.H. (2012) “Madonna: 30 Years of an Icon, 1982 – 2012”, P.H.Davies, 6 October,
available at: http://phdavies.co.uk/2012/10/06/madonna-30-years-of-an-icon-1982-to-2012/
(Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Davies, P.H. (2005) ”Madonna’s Nth Reinvention”, P.H.Davies, 19 August, available at:
http://phdavies.co.uk/blog-archive/essays/madonnas-reinvention/ (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Dillon Summers, K. (2012) Katy Perry a Biography, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO
Erlewine, S.T. (2009) ”Review by Sthephen Thomas Erlewine”, AllMusic [online], available
at: http://www.allmusic.com/album/true-blue-mw0000190762 (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Erlewine, S.T. (2013) “Madonna - Similar Artists, Influenced By, Followers”, AllMusic
[online], available at: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/madonna-mn0000237205/related
(Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Farber, J. (1994) “Album Review: ‘Bedtime Stories’ ”, Entertainment Weekly, issue 246, 28
October 1994 [online], available at: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,304247,00.html
(Accessed: 23.11.2013)
9

13. Garfield, S. (2005) “Looks good on the dancefloor”, The Guardian, 20 November [online],
available at: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/nov/20/popandrock.madonna1
(Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Glee Cast (2010) Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna, [CD], Columbia Records/20th
Century Fox TV
Harmanici, R. (2009) “Lady Gaga in the running to be the next Madonna”, San Francisco
Chronicle, 8 November [online], available at: http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Lady-
Gaga-in-the-running-to-be-the-next-Madonna-3211672.php (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Kaufman, G. (2009) “Madonna Breaks Her Own Solo-Tour Record With Sticky & Sweet”,
MTV.com, 3 Spetember [online], available from http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1620700/
madonna-breaks-her-own-solo-tour-record.jhtml (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Madonna (2012) The Complete Studio Albums (1983-2008), [CD box set], Warner Bros
Madonna (2012) MDNA, [CD], Interscope Records
Masuda, A. (2005) “Madonna’s impact on Society”, Yahoo! Voices, 10 August [online],
available at: http://voices.yahoo.com/madonnas-impact-society-4818.html?cat=9
(Accessed: 23.11.2013)
NY Times (1989) “Pepsi Cancels Madonna Ad” 5 April [online], available at: http://
www.nytimes.com/1989/04/05/business/pepsi-cancels-madonna-ad.html (Accessed:
23.11.2013)
O’Brien, L. (2007) Madonna: Like an Icon, New York, HarperCollins
Promis, J.F. (2012) “Review by Jose F. Promis”, AllMusic [online], available at: http://
www.allmusic.com/album/erotica-mw0000088969 (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Reuters (2012) “Madonna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Edges Out the Game”, 6 February
[online], available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/06/
idUS121991955020120206 (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
10

14. Rooksby, R. (2004) Madonna: The Complete Guide to Her Music (The Complete Guide to
the Music of Madonna), 2nd edition, London, Omnibus Press
Savage, M. (2008) “Pop superstars turn 50”, BBC News, August 15 [online], available at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7447895.stm (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Tadeusiak, A. (2000) ”MTV Europe Music Awards 2000”, UKMIX, (no date) [online],
available at: http://www.ukmix.org/articles/2000/ema.html (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Taraborrelli, J.R. (2002) Madonna: An Intimate Biography, New York, Simon & Schuster
USA Today (2007) “Madonna, others named to Rock Hall of Fame”, 13 December [online],
available at: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/awards/2007-12-13-
rockfame_N.htm (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Zeiher, M. (2010) “Adam Lambert Inspired by Listening to Lady Gaga and Madonna”,
Yahoo! Voices, 24 September [online], available at: http://voices.yahoo.com/adam-lambert-
inspired-listening-lady-gaga-and-6847192.html?cat=33 (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Wikipedia (2013) Madonna(entertainer) [online] available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Madonna_(entertainer) (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Wikipedia (2013) List of artists influenced by Madonna [online] available at: http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_artists_influenced_by_Madonna (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
Wikipedia (2013) List of Madonna tribute albums [online] available at: http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Madonna_tribute_albums (Accessed: 23.11.2013)
11